Digital Commons Network^™

Contextualizing Search: An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Construal Level Theory, Mood, And Product Type On Search Engine Activity, Jackson Everitt Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the world of search from the human perspective. While search engine research, both corporate and academic, has seen a growth in relevance in recent years, the relative novelty of the area in the advertising world means that many important questions remain unanswered. This work aims to expand the current state of search engine research by examining the combined impact of mood, construal level theory applications, and product type on search behavior. Additionally, this research seeks to examine psychophysiological responses from these interreacting frameworks using webcam eye-tracking technology, which was developed recently and has not been previously used …

Framing Police Brutality: An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Walter Scott’S Murder, Shamira S. Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes news articles about the killing of Walter Scott in 2015 to determine how frames changed over time and across platforms. Previous studies have found that news coverage of police violence against Black men has not always been fair. Instead, the narrative of official sources, like law enforcement, prove dominant. These same research articles typically focus on the way national news outlets frame incidents like Scott’s.

But this thesis takes a deeper look at how state newspapers framed Scott’s murder. I analyzed the frames and sources found in nearly 200 articles published by The Post and Courier and …

Words Evaporate, The Images Remain: Testing Visual Warnings In The Context Of Intentions To Vape Among U.S. Adults As An Expansion Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior (Tpb), Carl Arland Ciccarelli

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model variables of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, along with the variable of fear to explain individuals’ behavioral intentions to vape. Previous studies have explored the social appeal, intrigue, and potential consequences of vaping among adolescent and college student populations. However, these past studies have largely relied upon focus groups and self-reported data conducted among samples of teen, adolescent, and college student populations. Thus, the aims and designs of these previous vaping studies may have been lacking in construct validity and a theoretical approach from which to explain behavioral …

Exploring The Agenda-Setting Dynamics Between Traditional Newspapers And Twitter During Mass Shooting Event, Yujin Heo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the intermedia agenda-setting interplay between traditional news media and Twitter in the wake of mass shooting incidents. Applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to data sourced from Twitter, national, and local news, the study investigated the distinct coverage patterns and the extent of their reciprocal influence over time. The findings of this study demonstrated that, in the immediate aftermath of a shooting incident, national news outlets exerted a significant agenda-setting influence on both local media and Twitter discourse. However, as time unfolds, a mutually influential dynamic emerged across all media platforms. …

Extreme Persuasion: Analyzing Meaning Creation And Persuasive Strategies Within Extreme Discourse On Alternative Social Media, Naomi Kathryn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a long history of counterterrorism strategy, the U.S. has seen a drastic increase in domestic attacks over the past decade. Previous studies have found that, due to increasing content-related restrictions, many individuals who participate in extremist-related discourse have migrated away from mainstream social media and toward alternative social media platforms. This study consists of a comprehensive content analysis based on Multimedia Critical Discourse Analysis theories to study how meaning is created via the combination of text, image, and symbols, as well as how various persuasive narratives and rhetorical appeals are used within extreme discourse on social media. This research …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Brookline, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Brookline is a town of 63,191 residents, of whom 4,272, or 6.8%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population. In Brookline, the largest population is White (65.3%), followed by Asians (19.1%). Blacks account for 3.1% of the town’s residents.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Brookline experienced 7.6% population growth, slightly higher than the state's 7.4% growth. During this time, the White population of Brookline declined by 4.2% while the Latino population increased by more than 44.1% (higher than their statewide rate of 41.4%), the Asian …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Cambridge, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Cambridge is a city of 116,892 residents, of whom 10.0%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Cambridge, the largest resident population is White (60.9%). The Asian population is the second largest group in the city, making up 21.0%, followed by the Black population, which accounts for 11.2% of city residents.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Cambridge experienced 12.6% population growth, and all major ethnic-racial groups had increasing shares. Asians and Latinos grew by more than 30%, while the Black and White populations grew …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Chicopee, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Chicopee has a population of 55,560, of whom 13,027 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White, while Latinos are the second largest population, comprising 23.4% of the population. Latinos' share of the city’s population is almost twice as high as in the Massachusetts overall population, which is only 12.6% Latino. Black, Asian, and “other” populations make up 9.8% of the city’s population.

Chicopee underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020, even though its population increased by only 0.5%, much slower than the statewide increase of …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Fitchburg, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Fitchburg is a city of 41,946 residents, including 12,608 (30.1%) who identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Fitchburg, Whites make up the majority (54.6%) of the city, while Blacks and Asians account for 6.1% and 3.6% of the population, respectively.

Between 2010 and 2020, the Latino population grew by 44.5% and was only outpaced by Blacks (59.8%). With these two populations outpacing Fitchburg's 4.0% population growth during the decade, the White population experienced a 16.7% decrease. By comparison, the White population in Massachusetts declined by …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Haverhill, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Haverhill, Massachusetts, has 67,787 residents, of whom 15,998 identify as Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The city is majority non-Latino White (66.3%), with Latinos making up the second largest ethnic-racial group (23.6%). Latinos are a higher proportion of Haverhill’s population than of the statewide population, of which they account for 12.6%. Black, Asian, and “other” populations collectively make up only 10.1% of Haverhill’s population.

Between 2010 and 2020, Haverhill’s population increased by 11.2%, faster than the statewide increase of 7.4%. The Latino population’s 81.2% increase accounted for much of the city's growth. The statewide Latino …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Pittsfield, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Pittsfield has a population of 43,927, of whom 3,539 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White, while Latinos are the second largest population, comprising 8.1% of the population. Latinos are a lower proportion of Pittsfield’s population than the statewide population, which is 12.6% Latino. The Black population has a similar share (6.5%), while Asian and “other” populations make up 7.6% of the city’s population.

Pittsfield underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020, somewhat due to its population decline of 1.8%. Massachusetts experienced a population increase …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Peabody, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Peabody is a town of 54,481 residents, of whom 5,414, or 9.9%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population. In Peabody, more than three-fourths of the residents (77.3%) are White with Latinos making up the second largest group. Blacks (3.3%) and Asians (2.4%) trail, while the “other” populations make up 7.0% of the population. This last figure includes the 1,662 foreign-born Brazilians who live in Peabody, as the Census classifies Brazilians in the “other” category.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Peabody experienced 6.3% population growth, …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Quincy, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Quincy is a city of 101,636 residents, of whom 5,214, or 5.1%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. (Statewide, Latino residents constitute 12.6% of the total population.) In Quincy, the largest resident population is Whites (54.2%), followed by Asians (30.7%) and Blacks (5.4%).

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Quincy experienced 10.1% population growth, slightly higher than the state’s 7.4% growth. Latinos, however, increased by a much higher percentage in Quincy (68.8%) than statewide (41.4%). The Asian population grew by 41.0%, and the Black population increased by 36.3%. Similar to many other cities and …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Randolph, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Randolph is a town of 34,984 residents, of whom 3,798, or 10.9%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Randolph, the largest resident population is Black (41.9%), followed by White (26.6%), Asian (12.9%), and Latino (10.9%) populations. The 'other' populations make up 7.8% of the population in Randolph.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Randolph experienced a population growth of 8.9%, slightly higher than the state's 7.4% growth rate. The Black population increased by more than 23.0%, surpassing the statewide rate of 16.7%. The Latino …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Southbridge, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Southbridge is a town of 17,673 residents, of whom 6,012, or 36.1%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In addition, there are slightly more than 10,000 White residents, making up 56.7% of Southbridge’s population, while Black, Asian, and other residents collectively account for only 7.2% of the town’s population.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, the Latino population increased by 44.0%, while the White population decreased by 12.3%. The smaller Black population increased by 43.2%, while the Asian population increased by 6.1%. The increase in …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Westfield, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

Westfield has a population of 40,834, of whom 3,942 identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. The majority of the city identifies as non- Latino White (82.1%), while Latinos 9.7% are the second largest population; Black, Asian, and “other” populations make up the remaining 8.2%. The Latino share of Westfield’s population is lower than the statewide Latino share, which is 12.6%.

Westfield underwent significant population shifts between 2010 and 2020. The city’s population decreased by 0.6%, while the statewide population increased by 7.4%. The Latino population increase of 27.3% is lower than the statewide Latino population …

The Growing Latino Population Of Massachusetts: A Demographic And Economic Portrait, Phillip Granberry, Victor Luis Martins, Michelle Borges

Gastón Institute Publications

This report highlights the increasing number of Latinos and their growing diversity in Massachusetts. In the state, as well as nationally, Latinos’ share of the population continues to increase, while the non-Latino White population declines. The Latino population is young, with a higher rate of dependent children and a lower rate of dependent elders. Its workforce composition has not changed significantly: Latinos continue to be over-represented in blue-collar and service-sector jobs and under- represented in white-collar jobs. Across all occupational sectors (including white- collar jobs), Latino workers earn less on average than those of other ethnic-racial groups. Latinos also lag …

A Phase Ib/Ii Study Of Galunisertib In Combination With Nivolumab In Solid Tumors And Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Ernest Nadal, Mansoor Saleh, Santiago Aix, Maria Ochoa-De-Olza, Sandip Patel, Scott Antonia, Yumin Zhao, Ivelina Gueorguieva, Michael Man, Shawn Estrem

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Background In this phase Ib/II open-label study, tumor immune suppression was targeted in patients with advanced refractory solid tumors and patients with recurrent/refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using galunisertib with nivolumab.

Methods Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years old, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤ 1, and were treatment-naive for anti-programmed cell death-1, its ligand, or transforming growth factor β receptor 1 kinase inhibitors. Phase Ib was an open-label, dose-escalation assessment of the safety and tolerability of galunisertib with nivolumab in patients with advanced refractory solid tumors. Phase II evaluated the safety of galunisertib with nivolumab …

Comparative Analysis Of Soil Properties, Microbial Community Composition, And Yield Responses To Cover Crops In Different Ecoregions Of South Texas, Daphne Zapsas

Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive understanding of soil properties, their interdependencies, and the effects of management practices is crucial for designing sustainable agricultural strategies. By adopting site-specific and need-based practices that enhance soil health, farmers can optimize crop growth, increase yield, and contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. Cover crops have been recognized for enhancing soil fertility, promoting microbial activity, and increasing organic matter content. However, while their effectiveness is well documented in temperate regions with readily available water, their impact in water limited systems in subtropical regions remains mixed. The aim of this study is to assess soil conditions in four different farms across …

A Convolutional Neural Network Based Approach To Study The Gravitational Waves From Core-Collapse Supernovae In Ligo's Third Observation Run: Detection Efficiency And Parameter Estimation, Bhawana Sedhai

Theses and Dissertations

Core-Collapse Supernova (CCSN) is one of the most anticipated sources of Gravitational Waves (GW) arriving at the advanced LIGO detectors during the fourth observation run (O4). CCSN are rare, weak and unmodeled having a very low rate of occurrence in our galaxy (estimated 2 per century). Thus, detection of GW from CCSN is a challenging problem. An analysis pipeline used in this study is Multi-Layer Signal Enhancement with cWB and CNN or MuLaSEcC that combines Machine Learning methods with a network of Gravitational Wave detectors to identify and reconstruct signals from core collapse supernovae, while minimizing false alarms through the …

A Girl And Her Knife: A Feature-Length Screenplay, Alyssa C. Sandoval

Theses and Dissertations

A Girl and Her Knife is a dramatic screenplay written to promote inclusivity and empowerment of U.S. Chicanas in mainstream Hollywood. Once her grandmother dies, the protagonist, Luisa Fregoso, learns about her family’s history through her grandmother’s journal entries. Luisa’s grandmother, Ana, ensured Luisa became successful as an independent woman who understood she didn’t need love from a man. Luisa learned self-autonomy and self-liberation at a young age, but always struggled with love. Ultimately, her deceased grandmother continues to guide Luisa, but in a dangerous and dark way. The screenplay defies Hollywood’s traditional gender and cultural standards through distinctly written …

Cover Crops Influence Arthropod Community Dynamics Through Seasonal Variation And Cascading Effects, Adegboyega Fajemisin

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter gives an overview of how cover crops influence soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, and their role on mediating arthropod community dynamics with implications for pest management in the subsequent cash crop.

Chapter 2: This chapter examines the effects of cover-cash crop rotation on arthropod community dynamics on four growers fields in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. We assessed the impact of cover crops planted in the summer months on the subsequent cash crops planted in the winter. Our results showed that cover crops had a differential effect on the population of beneficials and herbivores …

Implementation Of Dual Language Programs For Emergent Bilinguals: Understanding Instructional Decisions Of Elementary Principals, Susana Marlet Arredondo

Theses and Dissertations

According to the United States Department of Education (2017), the number of K-12 Emergent Bilingual students (EBs) has been increasing over the years; in the year 2014 – 2015, there were over 4.8 million English Learners in our country. Therefore, a new norm for many school districts has been to incorporate Dual Language Programs to close the learning gaps between this subgroup and non-English Learners. There are different models used under Dual Language Program models such as the 90:10 and 50:50 model approach. Moreover, other districts provide a Dual Language Program for all students, not just English Learners. The purpose …

Enhancing Malware Analysis And Detection Using Adversarial Machine Learning Techniques, Troy Tolman, Md. Mashrur Arifin, Jyh-Haw Yeh

Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research

In the realm of modern technology, malware has become a paramount concern. Defined as any software designed with malicious intent, malware manifests in numerous types that infect computer systems and devices. As of 2023, executable files account for 53% of computer viruses' spread. Compounded by the emergence of AI and polymorphic malware, attackers have intensified their efforts to obfuscate malicious code, rendering traditional defenses, such as signature-based detection systems, ineffective. To counter the evolving nature of modern malware, the adoption of machine learning (ML) models for detection has gained prominence. These models are able to continuously analyze memory and other …

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 101, Issue 1, Summer 2023

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• Dean’s Column
• Time Capsule Jefferson Reflects on Nearly 50 Years of Physician Shortage Area Program
• ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
• Discovery Stress‚ Obesity, and Pancreatic Cancer
• Gray Matter
• Student Profile: Natalie Perlov
• Faculty Profile: Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD
• Alumni Profile: Geoffrey Dunn, MD ’79
• Alumni Impact: Geetinder (Rosy) Chattha, MD ’87
• Class Notes
• In Memoriam
• By the Numbers: Match Day 2023

Co-Operative Roles Of Il-4rα And Il-13rα1 In The Progression Of Ovarian Carcinomas And The Survival Of Ovarian Carcinoma Patients, Won Ku Choi, Usama Khamis Hussein, Asmaa Gamal Ahmed, Junyue Zhang, Kyoung Min Kim, Ae Ri Ahn, Ho Sung Park, See-Hyoung Park, Dong Hyu Cho, Kyu Yun Jang

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

No abstract provided.

Linking The Metabolic And Ecological Fate Of Caribbean Ciguatoxins And Related Neurotoxins In Reef Herbivores, Jessica K. Gwinn

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is one of the most prominent seafood-borne illnesses worldwide, affecting between 25,000–500,000 people annually. Ciguatera is caused by the ingestion of seafood contaminated with algal-derived ciguatoxins (CTX), the precursors of which are produced by benthic and toxigenic dinoflagellates in the genera Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. These compounds enter marine food webs through herbivory and are subsequently transferred to higher trophic levels, undergoing complex metabolic biotransformations, which produce structurally related CTX derivatives. Consumption of CTX induces a variety of severe neurological, gastrointestinal, and/or cardiovascular symptoms beginning within hours and lasting for weeks to months following exposure. Despite the impact …

Cadmium And Salinity Stressor Antagonism On Vallisneria Neotropicalis, Christopher P. Mikolaitis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Submerged macrophytes form the foundation of freshwater ecosystems. These organisms are sessile and are very susceptible to shifts in their environment. Heavy metals are of particular concern as they can be sequestered indefinitely in sediments and are readily taken up by rooted vegetation. In the presence of saltwater intrusions, these metals can interact with salt ions potentially changing their availability to submerged vegetation. In this study a freshwater macrophyte, Vallisneria neotropicalis, was used as a test species for interactive effects between Cd, a non-essential heavy metal, and salt stress. The metrics used to establish the individual as well as …

The Problem With Accreditation As An Extension Of Privilege And How To Fix It: Primer And A Roadmap For New Professionals, Aaron W. Hughey

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

The accreditation system for colleges and universities is broken.

It has been broken for quite some time even though those on both sides of the equation refuse to acknowledge what has become increasingly obvious to those of us who work in the academy: Accreditation has evolved into a potent mechanism for perpetuating power structures that have become entrenched in the culture of higher education.

Daniel Soars, The World And God Are Not-Two A Hindu-Christian Conversation, Anantanand Rambachan

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.